The notion was first offered about two weeks ago, and it's since picked up considerable steam. There remain 17 days until Major League Baseball announces its 2012 All-Star teams, but let's just say this now for the record.

Bryce Harper deserves to be an All-Star.

And not simply as a token publicity stunt to boost ratings. No, he truly deserves to be named an All-Star.

Start with the raw numbers. Following a monster road trip to Boston and Toronto, Harper now boasts a .303 batting average, seven homers, 19 RBI, a .384 on-base percentage, a .548 slugging percentage and a .933 OPS in 41 games with the Nationals.

The only statistical argument going against Harper is that he hasn't played in enough big-league games yet. And that's true. But he's going to play in a lot more before the Midsummer Classic rosters areRead more »

… I haven't watched an All-Star Game in decades, but this year I look forward to witnessing the dropping of fans' jaws all across the continent when Bryce wows them all at the annual summer classic. That experience will be a classic by itself. … and while I'm here, let me send good wishes to all my fellow Nats Insiders. How I wish I could be with you at today's get together. Just want you all to know how happy I am to be with you all on-line as we witness history in the making.Go Expo … er, I mean, Go Nats!!

This is just a really impressive development. Years past we were trying to figure out if any of the Nats should go the ASG??? Wow and next year when Davey is picking the team we will have many more guys going.

GONAT: from the previous thread on the bandwagon. I was listening to the last inning in the car and got to hear the Lavar/Dukes (oy) show and lets just say the Chad Dukes has totally changed his toon about Bryce. It was really nauseating…So get ready folks.. The Bandwagon is going to start adding more passengers!

The "hasn't played enough games to qualify" argument is bogus on its face. They started distributing All Star ballots in ballparks and collecting votes online in April. So any vote cast for a player at that time was cast for a player who hadn't played enough games to qualify.The All Star game is nothing but a popularity contest anyway. With its varied means of selecting players – some by fan vote, some by player vote, some by manager selection – and the requirement that each team have at least one representative, any talk of it representing "the best players in baseball" is a clown question, bro. It represents the most popular players in baseball. If Harper is one of them, he should be in. No questions asked, clown or otherwise.

I tend to think that the selecting of the all star team is pretty much a farce. No matter how they are playing in any given year, the Yankees will make up most of the american league team. A few people will stand out from smaller market teams — Votto, for example. For the most part it really is a popularity contest for the big name teams. There are efforts to balance it – every team getting a player, manager selections, even player selections – but it's hard to reconcile the way the players are selected with the recent importance of winning the game. So many players opt out now, with vacation plans and quasi- injuries that you just never know what the teams will look like until that day. I think the game can be a good one no matter who plays, though, because when it comes down to it there are lots of very good major league players who can get out there and put on a show. I would love to see more skills contests than just home runs – maybe bunting, base running, throwing – but I guess with their big contracts they are all afraid of getting hurt and missing time with their teams, too. I will watch the festivities but am somewhat cynical.

Enough games to qualify? My guess is Bryce Harper will have more games than Matt Kemp. Bryce Harper just needs to play the next 3 weeks like he has the last 3 weeks and he will have done it the old fashioned way as he will "have earned it".

strictly speaking, if ASG is about best production this season at a given position, then there are lot of OFs better than Harper deserving of ASG. Beltran, Stanton, CarGo, Braun, Kemp, MCab of NL, etc. I don't see room for him. Why not have him participate in HR derby? It is basically batting practice, right?

I think the "nothing but" a popularity contest overstates the case. Unless I'm missing something, the fans only choose nine players on the 35-player squad, right?Question: how "popular" was Tyler Clippard last year outside if the DC area?

Question: during Tuesday's telecast, the announcers were talking about a play RZ was involved with — where the official scorer changed an error into a hit from the day before.Was that the smash that RZ hit to 1b changing from error to hit? Or was it the smash that RZ fielded that changed from error to hit?(Both of them were lousy calls, imho)

The only thing I take issue with is the claim that Harper's defensive play has been "superb." Let's not kid ourselves. It's been pretty terrible. He's still learning how to play the outfield. He has a great arm, no doubt; but he takes some of the most terrible routes to balls I have ever seen. Roger Bernadina-esque. I'm sure it will get better with experience.Physical plays aside, it's the mental errors that really upset me. And either we've been winning so much that I haven't noticed it as much or he's gotten better. How many times did Harper let the trail runner move up a base by trying to show off his arm when he had NO CHANCE at catching the lead runner?

I remember that in his first year people where saying that Strasburg was on of the 10 best pitchers in the NL, but needed to wait his turn to be called an All-Star. He is still waiting. Get Harper to the game now.

[i]praa said: They started distributing All Star ballots in ballparks and collecting votes online in April. So any vote cast for a player at that time was cast for a player who hadn't played enough games to qualify.[/i]praa, a player is "qualified" based on number of PAs per game played by their team.==In order to qualify for batting titles in averaged categories (Avg, Slg, OBP, OPS, RC, OW%, #P/PA, G/F), a player must average at least 3.1 plate appearances for every game his team has played. Sorting by qualified year-to-date excludes all players not currently on pace to reach that minimum==so if a team has only played 10 games, a player would only need 31 PAs to qualify. so no, that's incorrect that nobody was "qualified" in april.

A DC Wonk said… I think the "nothing but" a popularity contest overstates the case. Unless I'm missing something, the fans only choose nine players on the 35-player squad, right?Question: how "popular" was Tyler Clippard last year outside if the DC area? June 14, 2012 8:50 AM ______________________________I think while the starters aren't always right based on merit, in most cases they are deserving of making the team. The one player guarantee per team is generally what gunks it up.

MicheleS said… GONAT: from the previous thread on the bandwagon. I was listening to the last inning in the car and got to hear the Lavar/Dukes (oy) show and lets just say the Chad Dukes has totally changed his toon about Bryce. It was really nauseating…So get ready folks.. The Bandwagon is going to start adding more passengers! June 14, 2012 7:49 AM ______________________________Great point. What did Dukes call him during his callup? Was it a punk? Yep, that was a clown question, bro.

Faraz Shaikh said…"strictly speaking, if ASG is about best production this season at a given position, then there are lot of OFs better than Harper deserving of ASG. Beltran, Stanton, CarGo, Braun, Kemp, MCab of NL, etc. I don't see room for him."OK, that's six. I'll add McCutcheon to the list and make it seven. Last year's NL All Star team had 11 outfielders on the roster. Who are the other four that you think have been clearly better than Harper this year so that there is "no room" for him?

Could not agree more, Mark. Harper is not only having the best year of any Nats position player, he is also on pace to have the greatest year, EVER, by a ML teenager. Of course, he must remain healthy to do so, but he seems to be in pretty darn good shape, in addition to everything else. Harper's rookie year is on track to become historic in the annals of baseball, whether he is selected to the AS team, or not.Should the Cyborg be on the NL All-Star team? To quote an expert on media relations, "That's a clown question, bro."

greg said… [i]praa said: They started distributing All Star ballots in ballparks and collecting votes online in April. So any vote cast for a player at that time was cast for a player who hadn't played enough games to qualify.[/i]praa, a player is "qualified" based on number of PAs per game played by their team.There is no standard for number of games that must be played to qualify for the All Star team. That's what Mark was talking about, and that's what I was talking about. And there certainly isn't anything to prevent someone from voting for a player who has played no games at all. I punched Michael Morse's name over 100 times on All Star ballots I submitted while he was on the DL. Those votes still count. So as I said, any argument that someone needs to have played a certain number of games before they're "qualified" to be an All Star is totally bogus.

Sam… I have to disagree. One of the things that has impressed me the most is the rapid improvement both Harper and Lombardozzi have made in their outfield play, especially Bryce.This kid was a catcher up until last year and has been moved to all three outfield positions in 1 and 1/2 years of OJT. His routes are improving daily. Certainly he's no Tori Hunter or Jim Edmonds but he'll be better than average as a ball hawk before you know it.

I think calling his outfield play "superb" is a bit of a stretch, but it is impressive that he can do it at all. So there's that. If he does get picked, they have to play him–he's the talk of the sport, and outside of the sport. Everybody wants to see him play.

Isn't the traffic thing being overhyped a bit? There is a capacity to the stadium. For the rest of the season, and perhaps for years to come, these super-exciting Nats are going to be drawing sellout or near-sellout crowds on a regular basis, methinks. Leaving earlier than usual may be about to become the new usual.

well, that's why i didn't understand your comment (and i wasn't alone, since gonat was going to post the same thing). you took what was a figurative comment from mark and interpreted it literally.i don't believe for a second that mark was implying that there was an actual standard number of games required to be in the ASG. the implication was that detractors who say he hasn't played enough games are wrong because by the time the ASG is played, he will have enough PAs to qualify for the statistical leader board. and if he does that, the argument that he hasn't played enough to be selected for the ASG is moot.

A DC Wonk said… I think the "nothing but" a popularity contest overstates the case. Unless I'm missing something, the fans only choose nine players on the 35-player squad, right?It is totally a popularity contest. Popularity with the fans who choose some of the winners. Popularity with the players who choose some of the winners. Or popularity with the manager who chooses the rest. You can't become an All Star unless you're popular with someone. And there are absolutely no standards or qualifications that a player has to meet before being considered, other than being on a major league roster. Nothing about "quality" or "performance." It's a popularity contest. Nothing more, nothing less.

And there are absolutely no standards or qualifications that a player has to meet before being considered, other than being on a major league roster. Nothing about "quality" or "performance." It's a popularity contest. Nothing more, nothing less. There are no official standards, true. And I think most managers have tried to reward some of their own guys when they could. I think it's overly cynical to assume the managers and coaches who pick the rosters pick players strictly according to who they happen to like, personally, rather than who they respect, professionally. Not that I am in the room when they pick, but I believe they are mostly picking by merit, within the limits of roster needs and the one-from-each-team mandate.

DDOT DC ‏@DDOTDCIs traffic going to be bad for the Nats' games this wknd? That's a clown question, Bro. Huge crowds expected – take transit.Is Metro going to do anything to improve its atrocious level of service, especially on weekends? Like canceling its scheduled track maintenance, station closing, and single tracking? Or like adding more (and more frequent) trains? That's a clown question, bro.

Friends of mine had an email string going on about this very subject. I responded to a well known blogger who was saying there are at least 2 dozen NL OFs with better stats:"You say at least two dozen NL outfielders with better numbers while acknowledging the fewer at-bats and if you go by cumulative numbers like HRs and RBIs of course he won't be in the top grouping because Harp missed almost all of April. If you go by OBP, OPS and RC27 for NL outfielders, Bryce Harper is #5 and is #12 for BA and #16 in HR/AB. There may be between 9 and 11 outfielders on the All Star squad. Right now Harper is in there based on merit in my opinion.Still a long way to go."

I remember that in his first year people where saying that Strasburg was on of the 10 best pitchers in the NL, but needed to wait his turn to be called an All-Star. He is still waiting.In Strasburg's first year, he had only pitched seven times before the ASG. In the second year, he was on DL. This is the third year.

Nothing about "quality" or "performance."Riggghhtt . . . Clippard got in on popularity, not because of quality. He was "popular" with the manager. It had "nothing" at all to do with that he needed to pick a Nat, and that Clip was the best reliever on the team. Nope, not at all.

According to MLB stats, Harper's OPS right now is .933; in the NL, six full-time outfielders are ahead of him: Kemp, C. Gonzalez, Beltran, Cabrera, Braun, and McCutchen. Giancarlo Stanton is at .914 OPS, and his slash stats (average/on-base/slugging) stand at .288/.361/.553, as opposed to .303/.384/.548 for Harper.

sjb, in all fairness, McCutchen and Bryce are both tied for OPS at .933. How quick things change though with these stats which is why you want to wait 3 more weeks before handing anyone not voted in with an All Star ring.

The funny thing about Clip getting in (apparently Bochy asked Riggs who to pick for the Nats, and Clip was the answer) was him winning the game by a fluke and getting post game interviews–and snarky comments that some "obscure middle-reliever" won the game. And then he went and proved he was the best setup man in the NL, according to a lot of sabermetric stats, and he's not an "obscure middle reliever" any more.

Sam you're right about some of the things that Harper does in the field, after catching a ball and getting to it for that matter. Such miscues, however, are becoming less frequent, and he does have what I call great ball sense when it comes to actually catching a ball. As NatsJack has pointed out, this is a kid who a little over a year ago was calling himself a catcher.His running style, on the bases and in the OF, is more FB, than WR, but damn he's fun watching, and he ususally puts the ball in his glove.Now if he could only learn how to hit…..I'll tune into the ASG if Oppo Boppo is there, but probably not otherwise.

Andrew L. said… Friends of mine had an email string going on about this very subject. I responded to a well known blogger who was saying there are at least 2 dozen NL OFs with better stats: June 14, 2012 9:42 AM _______________________________No doubt the "well known blogger" is Peric's least favorite blogging scribe. I'm sure his 2 dozen better NL outfielders are based on total HRs, RBIs, and Runs scored. Disregard HRs/AB, RBIs/AB and RS/AB.Easy to make an arguement for Bryce being an All Star based on the numbers. Difficult to make a legitimate case against Bryce.Now then, Ryan Braun in 2007 on June 30th had a 1.035 OPS and wasn't made an All Star. He had only played 32 games as he was called up on May 25th.Bryce Harper has had an additional month than Braun had. Kemp will most likely end up with less games than Bryce Harper. Small sample sizes is one thing, Harper needs to keep up at this pace to make sure he stays in the Top 10.If you use small sample size and Stephen Strasburg doesn't go in as a pitcher, they should consider him as a hitter! .350/.381/.650/1.031 (just kidding of course)

Popularity Contest = People's Choice. Is there anything at all that puts any restriction on who the people (fans, players, manager) can choose? Other than the requirement that there must a player from every team, no. There aren't even any guidelines. It's totally based on the will of the people making the choice, by whatever criteria they choose to collectively use. Even the criteria are a popularity contest.

pRAA said… Popularity Contest = People's Choice. Is there anything at all that puts any restriction on who the people (fans, players, manager) can choose? Other than the requirement that there must a player from every team, no. There aren't even any guidelines. It's totally based on the will of the people making the choice, by whatever criteria they choose to collectively use. Even the criteria are a popularity contest. June 14, 2012 10:16 AM _____________________________I think in the newest addendum to the CBA it was proposed that a suspended player can't be chosen as an All Star. Hard to believe that wasn't in the last CBA.

Soul Possession"Laddie, meant to ask this earlier–what's the "cyborg" reference? I don't get it."Here's a definition:"The term cyborg is often applied to an organism that has enhanced abilities due to technology, though this perhaps oversimplifies the necessity of feedback for regulating the subsystem. The more strict definition of Cyborg is almost always considered as increasing or enhancing normal capabilities."The Schwartznegger character in "Terminator" was a cyborg. In Bryce's case, he appears to be 100% human, but does not act like it. His feedback mechanism for receiving, analyzing, and adjusting to pitching data is beyond the normal capabilities of ordinary humans. Witness his BA with his 1st AB against pitchers, vs. his BA with his 2nd.The kid may be only human, but don't tell that to the guys who have to pitch to him. He's a hitting machine, i.e. a cyborg with a super-computerized interior mental algorithm for instantaneously reprogramming the hand-eye coordinating component that translates sensory input into an enhanced physical ability to respond, with devastating effect, to newly analyzed environmental phenomena, like a LOOGY's hanging curve ball. Fool him once, shame on you, but don't try it again, 'cause he's got your number.Recall how the Terminator was instantaneously able to reprogram himself to counter and defeat each new feeble attempt to take him down. Cyborgs can do that, not just in the movies, but in real life, too. The kid is a cyborg. Just look at the numbers.

At breakfast this morning, I predicted that the first "clown question" reference would come within the first ten minutes of Mark's first post of the day. If only SCFan had gotten up earlier!I think the Kid gets to go and will go. How can they leave him home? Remember how goofy he looked in the Futures game, and how happy? Expect to see that grin 100 fold.In my view, Clipp absolutely deserved to go last year. I wish Morse had gotten in, too. But I love Michelle' prediction that, next year, Davey picks the team. Won't that be sweet? Meanwhile, I don't want to lose track of how great Desi and Lombo have been for us, and how Espi is coming on, offensively. And how grateful I am to have ALR. Come to think of it, the grin on MY face is pretty goofy and blessed out now, too, thinking of them.In other news, Gio has STILL has not contacted @Linspence126 to take her to the gala Saturday. He is SO missing the boat here.

Good stuff on the All-Star Game/Harper. I personally think if he keeps up what he is doing right now or even falls slightly, he is a no-brainer, just on his popularity. Don't get me wrong, he deserves to be there as the best player on one of the best teams but it truly is a popularity contest and while it does decide home field advantage(which I disagree with), its not as intense as a playoff game.I honestly hope Bryce does NOT get picked for the homerun contest. With his competitive spirit, I can see that kind of thing messing his stroke up for awhile. Except for the shot in Toronto, most of his HR's have been line shots and not the moonballs that we saw as a teenager when he swung from his shoetops.Wonk – we agree so much more then disagree but look at how far Bryce has come as a young man. His thoughts on Yankee's and Cowboys etc were formed when he was 15/16 years old. I still hold out hope that he will see the love of this fan base and that Rizzo will offer to extend him early in his contract years and we will have him for a long long time. The thought of playing for one team his entire career might just be helpful as well.Go Nats

Sounds a lot like Ted Williams. That was what I was hoping he would learn to be in the minors. But Davey seemed to think he could just as good a job developing him as any minor league manager and in his mind? A far better job.If you give kudos to Harper you best be saving some for his major league manager and coaches who do indeed seem to know how to develop young players IN THE MAJORS, having fun, and still managing to win. Johnson has again proven he was right. And what a night-and-day difference from Jim Giggleman! Hopefully, Davey will get Corey Brown up and into the lineup sooner rather than later. Right Davey?

I think it's amazing that our three bright shiny rookies this year are almost exclusively playing out of the position they came up in. Bryce has been totally converted to outfield, but getting time at all 3 positions. Lombo is a middle infielder spending most of his time in left field. Moore is a 1B and has played only this one game there –he also has been stuck in the outfield. How much talent does it take to be able to come up as a rookie AND play a new position? Boggles my mind. We need their bats since this is obviously going to be a pitchers' season. Voting for the Cy Young this year is going to be ridiculous. Strassie, Gio, Cain, Dickey,Santana, Beachy, Kershaw, Lance Lynn- and the list goes on and on. Not a fun year for hitters. Every few days you seem to hit one of these guys.

I hate to sound negative about our "bright shiny rookies," but Lombardozzi has dropped off severely. I still love the guy as an incredibly useful bench utility type guy, but let's put it this way: those of you that were screaming for him to replace Espinosa at 2B based on three weeks of baseball probably owe Espi an apology. Espi currently has a higher OPS on the season than Lombo, is a better defender, and he steals bases too.

Swami: I had not given much thought to Mr. Cy but man, what a tough call that will be! Just happy we have a couple of guys in the mix, and I think I am correct that our two are the youngest of the ones you mention (I am betting that Beachy is also pretty young).What keeps me getting more and more excited each day is just how young we really are. Except for LaRoche, our infield, including the catcher are all under 27. When we play Lombo, Harper and Morse then we only have LaRoche over the age of 30. It's crazy! I think I read an article way back about the prime years for most players in the field being 27-30 so we have a great deal to look forward to (duh). Go Nats!!

If not to the game itself, Harper should at least be invited to take part in the home-run hitting contest. (Guarantee he would win.) Not that he would be considered, but Sean Burnett has pitched like an all-star from Day One this year.

Wonk – we agree so much more then disagree but look at how far Bryce has come as a young man. His thoughts on Yankee's and Cowboys etc were formed when he was 15/16 years old. I still hold out hope that he will see the love of this fan base and that Rizzo will offer to extend him early in his contract years and we will have him for a long long time. The thought of playing for one team his entire career might just be helpful as well.I agree. I'm hoping that he and the Nats and DC form a great relationship (involving at least one ring in the next few years) — kinda like RZ.And, yeah, he was "just a kid" when he spoke about the Yankees. But, that was just three years ago.Having Bryce on my hometeam is almost too good to be true, and so, sometimes I worry about things like: is this a dream? will he get injured because he plays so hard? will he re-sign at end of contract? And, etc.Just a tiny minor worry in the back of my mind. (Kinda of like any parent has when the kid takes the car on a Sat night). And so taking 2-of-3 from the NYY will help me extinguish those worries.============Totally tangential: growing up a die hard New York Met fan, I absolutely hate the Yankees. Steinbrenner was my Peter Angelos. (And even before then, when the Mets formed and wanted to use Yankee stadium, they were refused — forcing them to the Polo Grounds — decades later, when Yankee stadium was being rebuilt, Yanks shared Shea Stadium). And the coverage in the media of Yankees/Mets is like DC Media with Redskins/Nats. Mets would win, a Yankee gets a hangnail, and it's the latter that is splashed on the coveted back page of the NY Daily News and NY Post.Uggh . . . don't get me started. RZ's father's day home run years ago was so sweet to me on so so many levels…!We _gotta_ win this series!!

bowdenball said……but let's put it this way: those of you that were screaming for him to replace Espinosa at 2B based on three weeks of baseball probably owe Espi an apology. Espi currently has a higher OPS on the season than Lombo, is a better defender, and he steals bases too.Gosh! Do you mean to say that Davey knew what he was doing?

I am such a National League person – I am looking forward to seeing out pitchers ( and Morse) get back in the game again. I hope they are not rusty with their mad bunting skills. And their slugging, of course.

A DC Wonk said… bowdenball said……but let's put it this way: those of you that were screaming for him to replace Espinosa at 2B based on three weeks of baseball probably owe Espi an apology. Espi currently has a higher OPS on the season than Lombo, is a better defender, and he steals bases too.Gosh! Do you mean to say that Davey knew what he was doing? June 14, 2012 11:04 AM _________________________________If you remove those RH at-bats which are All Star quality, Espi is a Mendonza left-handed batter although he has improved the last 3 weeks.If you platooned the 2 players, you end up with a super 2nd baseman. Lombo struggles as a RH batter and Espi struggles as a LH batter.Of fact, Lombo's numbers have slowly dropped off and yesterday's 0-5 didn't help.

Candide & Wonk have both expressed their early rooting interests so here goes (I mean we do have an off day). I was totally into the Senators during my entire youth but that was hard to take, even for a youngster. My mom would take me to Griffith Stadium and it seemed we would see the Yankees more than the other teams. I loved watching Micky Mantle and Yogi Berra and Moose, and Whitey, Gil McDougald etc etc. Plus they won! I secretly rooted for them except when they came to DC. When I got old enough to take the street car (a nickel) and go by myself I tended to pick Yankee games. Then, we lost our team, got a bunch of rejects and then lost them as well. Steinbrenner started spending obscene amounts of money and it was easy to start hating the Yankees which is where I am today. I did love those Yankee teams of the 50's though. They were special.Sorry to bore everyone but like I said, its a day off.Go Nats

DC Wonk/ Bowdenball, you can spin the numbers on Espinosa anyway you want and while Danny is improved, he is still under Mendoza as a lefty.His lefty slash is .195/.275/.314/.589. Lombo as a lefty is slashing .302/.357/.388/.745Care to repost again? The answer has been a platoon as I have suggested a few dozen times.

Gonat-Platooning sounds like a good idea at the plate, but then you lose Espi's defense and baserunning. Not to mention the fact that the whole problem with the Lombo over Espi argument was that it was based on an overreaction and a limited sample size. Espinosa's career OPS against righthanders is actually about the same as Lombo's- .687 vs. 676, and I had to bet I'd wager that Espi's will pass Lombo's in another month or so. Espinosa is just simply better at baseball than Lombo, no matter who is pitching. Lombo is incredibly valuable to this team as a utility guy and a contact bat off the bench, but there is no way he should be starting over Espi except to give him a day off. Like I said before, I think some people owe Espi an apology, or at least need to admit they were wrong about him and Lombo.

Ghost Of Steve M. said… DC Wonk/ Bowdenball, you can spin the numbers on Espinosa anyway you want and while Danny is improved, he is still under Mendoza as a lefty.His lefty slash is .195/.275/.314/.589. Lombo as a lefty is slashing .302/.357/.388/.745Care to repost again? The answer has been a platoon as I have suggested a few dozen times. June 14, 2012 11:27 AM _____________________________If you had the 2nd base platoon, they would combine for a .326/.378 on BA and OBP.That seems to be the point.

Care to repost again? The answer has been a platoon as I have suggested a few dozen times.Unless there's a need for a platoon somewhere, you're answering a clown question, bro. And there won't be the need for a platoon until Werth comes back, which is still 5-6 weeks away. Until then, Espi is your second baseman and Lombo will pick up ABs as he has been of late. Depending on what they're both doing when Werth gets back, maybe then a platoon at second base will emerge. Or maybe not. The only thing we know for sure is that if a platoon does emerge, you'll be on here claiming credit for it. But if it doesn't, you'll be totally silent on the matter, along with all your acolytes and lapdogs.

bowdenball, the dropoff in baserunning is more than made up by OBP. The dropoff in defense is always hard to measure so maybe Danny comes in as a late inning defensive replacement.The silver lining is Danny has looked better this week with that shorter swing. As mentioned, no K's yesterday and he made good contact.

Against RH pitching, I put Morse in LF, Bernadina in CF, Harper in RF and Lombo at 2nd.Against LH pitching, I put Morse in LF, Harper in CF, Nady in RF and Espi at 2nd.If pRAA had come up with this he would be patting himself on the back. Why don't you put up some more incorrect statements like you did earlier on plate appearances.

Soul Possession-This is an enjoyable good-natured debates among baseball fans, I think. No ill will towards Gonat and Steve M for me!My argument is that plate appearances from only one side of the plate over only two months of the season are way too small a sample size to bench a talent like Espinosa in favor of Lombo for a large majority of games. The career numbers are a better tool considering how young both guys are- no risk of either being past peak performance. And the career numbers show little to know difference from the left-hand side of the plate. I think both players have been regressing to the mean in recent weeks, which I think supports the argument.

How the all star team is selected:1) The fans vote is a popularity contest, which is why the game has the name it does: an all-STAR game. In recent years, it may have gotten a bit more worthiness-related, because most of the voting is done on-line, and the competing players stats are a click away. Many voters will consult these stats for positions in which they do not have a hometown (or other) favorite to vote for. In the past, it was much more difficult for fans to know, or remember at the moment, the most-worthies, which enhanced the value of the quality politicians call Name ID.2) The players vote is sort of like a peer-review process in academia. Players are prohibited from voting for teammates but they still may have personal favorites and/or unfavorites that will cloud their judgment based on worthiness. Also, they have not — given the vararies of the schedule — seen all the players themselves. Finally, they have preferences as to style, aspects of the game particuarly valued, etc.3) Managers' choices. Given the "at least one per team" rule, I'm guessing there's a lot of politicking here, e.g. consulting fellow managers with regard to selections from their teams. Also, no doubt, lobbying from various quarters. Especially with pitchers, some managers in some situations would much prefer one of their players get the rest rather than the recognition. Given all these limitations, the selecting manager will probably reward as many of his own players as he thinks he can without drawing too much criticism.I'm sure I've missed some variables, but these seem to me like the major ones.

Natsie – thanks for the refresher on ASG – I know the starters are strictly fan votes but how many are then from player vote and how many from the manager. As I remember, the manager picks all the pitchers, right?I also like the back and forth here on Danny & Lombo and am glad I don't have to make that call. If I did I would keep Danny at 2nd for most of the time, no platoon for me thanks. I would see that Lombo does give him a rest every now and then, while keeping Lombo in a role as super sub. When Morse plays 1st, Lombo is in LF, and then the guy who also hates to come out is Desi. I would move Danny over to SS every so often as well, which would give Lombo more time at his best position. Like NatsJack, I am impressed at how quickly both he and Harper have adjusted to the OF.Go Nats!!

Who's ready for a good chuckle?Yesterday, someone was kind enough to let me know that hit tracker online existed (url – http://hittrackeronline.com/). And it was a lot of fun. Till I realized what a sham it was!Exhibit A: There's a column for "# of parks." It is supposed to identify in how many parks the HR that was it would have been a HR (conditions 70 degrees, and something about wind, I think no wind). Anyway, for Harper's Blackberry shot, they gave it a 29, meaning somewhere out there in MLB there is a park that Harper's shot would not have been a HR in. Would LOVE to know what park that is.

The traffic thing is way overblown. Anyone who needs some announcer to tell them to leave early, just doesn't have any common sense. There have been games sold out before, with less parking. Of course, the trains don't know if a game sells out or not. They still run their same schedule. I should have had enough common sense to not even write this post.

On Lombo:(1) The league(s) were bound to adjust, the question is can he adjust back?(2) His slump seems to have begun right about the time he started playing every day in LF. Of course, the point of his playing in LF every day was to get his hot bat in the lineup, but you have to wonder if the stress of the unfamiliar position crept over into his offense.

baseballjones-My guess was Minute Maid, which if you remember the Nats' visits to Houston is easily the stupidest and most unfair park in baseball. The corners are so short it's a joke, and it might literally be impossible to hit a ball out to right-center, where Harper hit his bomb. There's an overlay option at that site, looks like that might be the one.

On Lombo – started out ridiculously hot and now is down a bit — pitchers adjusting? game speeding up? What I love about him is the way he battles at the plate – he fouls off pitch after pitch after pitch. Who knows what affect this has on the pitcher for the next batter or later in the game? He also has good speed and is a very smart baseball player. Espi is going better now and that is awesome, but all young players have ups and downs. If Lombo was our every day second baseman and having the reps in the field and playing in his comfort zone in the field he would probably be a pretty good option. We have two really good options – how cool is that?

Late chiming in, so this may have already been stated (I'm far too lazy to read all 100 plus comments):At least for this year, I would rather see Harper NOT go to the ASG, but instead take the time to rest, as it is looking more and more likely that there will be meaningful games in September and hopefully in October.

So, with Mark's Party tonight, what has been your favorite article etc from Mr. Z?For me, it was the first spring training of the insider. Getting those daily interviews via email were what really sold me on Mr Z.Thanks for bringing all this together and see you tonight!

Can't make tonight's NI gathering as I have to get up at 0:Dark 30 tomorrow morning to attend a course in West Virginia. I hope there will be another chance later on for me to meet some imaginary friends. Have fun tonight.

TimDZ– did you need rest when you were 19? I didn't. Chances are he wouldn't rest anyway, unless the Nats send a guard with him to wrap his back in ice 24/7.He'll play for one or two innings, and it will be great. He'll be loving it. He should go now while his interest and the world's are at their height (or close to it). And I wouldn't worry about the Home Run Derby either, because he does the same thing every day in batting practice.

Jeffwx, good question on getting Tyler Moore more playing time. Left field with Morse in RF seems a viable option with Lombo at 2nd and leading off.On Saturday against Pettitte go back to Espi leading off.

Friends from the evil empire preparing:Also an alternative option to getting to the game:Lets crash.from their meetup:==========================================Alright everyone, get your tickets! Great to see so many Yankee fan representing the best team in sports!!! This is going to be great!!!If you are interested in meeting up before the game come to Mollie Malones on Capitol Hill 8th street near the Eastern Market Metro. http://www.mollymalonescapitolhillsaloon.com/We can walk to the game from there and if you are driving it's easier to find parking. If you don't feel like walking you can catch the Circulator for a buck or catch a 3 dollar cab.

One possibility…could also replace a current bench player when Werth returns.Or do they trade LaRoche if he continues to hit well…controversial for sure but we already have 3 first basemen with Morse/Moore/ALR

Anybody else going to the Bullpen across the street from the Metro station for the Yankees game tomorrow night, even though they don't have tickets? Because me and my buddy are going. Just to see the atmosphere. GO NATS!

jeffwx said… One possibility…could also replace a current bench player when Werth returns.Or do they trade LaRoche if he continues to hit well…controversial for sure but we already have 3 first basemen with Morse/Moore/ALR June 14, 2012 2:32 PM ________________________________When Werth comes back, hard to say who goes down/out, but you have to think the outfield is Morse, Harper, Werth.The only way I see LaRoche traded is doomsday scenarios. Don't want to go there.

I am certainly glad I am not the one making the decisions about who stays and who goes. I just don't like the idea of someone leaving to make a spot for DeRosa at this point. Werth and Storen still have about at least a month to go , I think. I feel very sorry for DeRosa, though, with what he has been going through with his father. I think the DL has allowed him to spend time with his family in NJ. Now that his father has passed, he will probably start to think baseball again. Who knows? Maybe he will pull it together and make a contribution.

In addition to the Grandstand tickets (which are $15 this weekend for the Marquee games against the Yankees) I believe standing room tickets are also sold only at the box office on the day of the game. Standing room tix are usually $20 from what I've heard, but those also will probably be more this weekend.

Off-Topic (as if that's ever an issue here), but Duffy's is open for the 4th of July, Wednesday, for the 11:05 game (Giants are here), for those of you/us who might not be at the park, but want to congregate. And eat. Maybe have a beer or two.

Here's a better question than Harper – the Cardinals play the Nats from 30 Aug-2 Sep and again from 28-30 Sep. Should Tony La Russa be permitted to pick Strasburg for the All Star Game, knowing that Strasburg is on an innings limit due to his surgery?

I doubt anyone will read this, but Harper is 12 plate appearance short of qualifying for leaders, Matt Kemp is almmost 50 plate appearances short, so the old "he hasn't played enough games this year." will not be argued at all in the Kemp corner.